The present invention relates to a software program which assists users in building a competitive gaming collection or arrangement of units or pieces, and which is a subset of a larger universe of gaming units or pieces, such as for games having units with offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as other attributes related to game play. More particularly, the invention relates to a software program which assists users in building a competitive gaming collection or arrangement, wherein the games can include cards, game boards, or electronic games, using knowledge of the capabilities of each competitive game unit, and logic which enables effective subset selection of the game units. The invention is particularly applicable to trading card games which permit a user to assemble and employ a competitive collection of game units, such as trading cards.
Trading card games are known in the amusement arts. Also, computer-based games are known in the amusement arts. There are many known types of inventory control systems to aid the game player in tracking and organizing their collection of playing pieces for complex card, board, and electronic games. Such organizational aids include simple home made pencil-and-paper based charts and tables, as well as sophisticated computer-based systems. However, the sophisticated computer systems generally simply perform the tasks of the older, simple pencil-and-paper systems, but in a faster or more detailed way.
Further, such prior devices and systems did nothing to provide the user with insight or guidance into selection of playing units or pieces to form an effective organized grouping such as a card hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,332 to Garfield relates to a trading card game method of play. In this patent, a card game of chance and strategy uses trading cards and a plurality of formats, and includes computer network capabilities. Individual cards represent gaming units having specified capabilities, including offensive and defensive capabilities, and players construct their own library of cards.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,561 to Pace, a computer-based trading card game system and method are shown. The system includes a CD-ROM disk as well as floppy disks. The CD-ROM disk includes a software program, and the floppy disks include sets or subsets of gaming units. Locking keys are used, and trading of floppy disks takes the place of trading of individual cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,525 to Castro relates to a card game utilizing baseball trading cards. This patent teaches a mechanism for converting baseball cards into playing cards and for producing an order of plays from a random count, and wherein the object of the game is to collect trading cards from opponents.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,259, a video sports game system is disclosed which uses trading cards. The game system has a control system for use with a television set, and individual trading card elements which are read by a card reader. The controller creates teams and conducts a game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,801 to Welander relates to an electronic trading card game having trading cards and having a sports card game sequence.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,881 to Anspach relates to game equipment constructed to permit playing of two different gaming theories with equal chances of winning, for example monopolistic and competitive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,332 to Yhero et al relates to a role playing game for 2-6 players which includes a plurality of game units and game cards, some of the game cards being scarcer than others.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,035 relates to a gaming system having a fixed pool of game plays, with permission of each player to purchase plays in a fixed pool stored in a master CPU.
From the foregoing, it is seen that gaming card systems are known which permit simple assembly or untutored selection of gaming units. However, there are no known gaming systems which utilize expert logic to assist a player in methodically arranging or sagaciously selecting gaming units. According to the present invention, a software system is provided which assists users in building a highly competitive gaming collection or arrangement of units or pieces, and which is a subset of a larger universe of gaming units or pieces, such as for games having units with offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as other attributes related to game play.
The software system of the present invention is used to assess the utility of possible game units or playing pieces in order to determine their effectiveness individually and in combination with each other as a competitive force or grouping to be used in a game employing a universe of such gaming units or pieces. The software system of the present invention is provided with information about the offensive and defensive capabilities and attributes of all possible playing pieces which might be used in the game. The software then takes into account the actual availability of a playing piece for play, as well as any user preferences to be applied as part of any selection criteria. The software system of the present invention will then calculate and assess the best combination(s) of playing pieces for use in the game and will inform the user of the results.
Additionally, the software will keep track of the player""s game unit inventory, and, if applicable, the value of the game pieces.
Typically, in a card game of this type, there are a limited pool or universe of cards which can be used to form a game deck. The preferences of the user can be taken into account, for example to form a game deck employing the user""s favorite cards, tactics, or themes.
Further, the software system of the present invention will also be capable of identifying a xe2x80x9cwish listxe2x80x9d deck, namely one that is made up primarily of cards in the existing inventory, but also containing recommendations that the user acquire some limited number of additional cards which would offer opportunities for construction of even more effective game decks. Another unique feature of this invention is the ability to skew game piece selection based on market value. Less valuable game pieces of the same capability are preferably selected first, in order to preserve the condition and value of higher valued pieces.
The software system of the present invention is applicable to numerous trading card games or theme card games currently on the market. The software system of the present invention may also be capable of calculating the relative market value of the collection of game pieces based on average street values for the game units or pieces and the current players inventory of game units or pieces.
The software system of the present invention can be extended to non-card games, as well. It can be applied to any competitive card game, board game, or electronic game where there is a need to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of a large number of possible playing pieces in order to select a subset of those pieces which would comprise the strongest available team or unit with which to play the game.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.